Insulated cap

ABSTRACT

Container assemblies including an insulated cap for sealing the mouth of the container, the insulated cap including an outer shell, an insulation block defining a plurality of elongate voids disposed at least partially within the outer shell, a securing element configured to secure the cap to the container, and a sealing member configured to form a seal between the insulated cap and the container when the insulated cap is secured to the container by the securing element.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 16/030,338, filed Jul. 9, 2018, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 15/144,667, filed May 2, 2016, now U.S. Pat.No. 10,017,301, which claims priority to U.S. Prov. App. Ser. No.62/155,356, filed Apr. 30, 2015.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to thermally insulated containers for liquids,and more specifically to thermally insulated caps for such thermallyinsulated containers.

INTRODUCTION

When a need exists to store or transport a substance, and it isfurthermore desirable to keep that substance at temperature that iseither higher or lower than ambient temperature, the solution istypically an insulated container. Insulated containers are available ina vast number of configurations depending upon the substance to betransported and the temperatures to be maintained, from the thermal bagsused to deliver hot pizzas to the cryogenic storage dewars used to holdcryogens such as liquefied gases.

Of particular utility are beverage containers, such as water bottles orsports bottles, that are typically used to contain beverages that areeither colder (such as ice water) or hotter (such as coffee) thanambient temperatures. To maintain such beverages at their desiredtemperature for a desired amount of time, such containers typicallycontain insulating structures and/or materials.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure is directed to insulated caps, assemblies ofcontainers and insulated caps, and methods of manufacturing insulatedcaps.

In one aspect, the disclosure is directed to a lid for sealing a mouthof a container, the lid including: an outer shell; an insulation blockdisposed within the outer shell, wherein the insulation block defines aplurality of elongate hexagonal voids; and a sealing member configuredto form a seal between the lid and the container when the lid is securedto the container.

In another aspect, the disclosure is directed to a lid for a container,the lid including: an insulation block having a first face and aplurality of hexagonal voids oriented orthogonal to the first face, eachof the hexagonal voids having an open end at the first face; a shellcovering at least the first face of the insulation block, such that theopen ends of the plurality of hexagonal voids are capped by the shell;and a sealing member coupled to the lid and configured to form a sealbetween the lid and the container when the lid is secured to thecontainer.

In another aspect, the disclosure is directed to a container including:a container mouth; and a container lid transitionable between anattached and a detached configuration with respect to the containermouth; wherein the container lid includes: an insulation block having anupper face and a plurality of walls extending orthogonal to the upperface, the plurality of walls defining a corresponding plurality ofhexagonal voids each having an open end at the upper face; an uppershell covering at least the upper face of the insulation block, suchthat the open ends of the plurality of hexagonal voids are capped by theupper shell; and a sealing member coupled to the lid and forming a sealbetween the lid and the container mouth when the lid is attached to thecontainer mouth.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partially exploded view of an illustrative containerassembly of the present disclosure that includes an insulated cap.

FIG. 2 is a view of the underside of the insulated cap of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view of an alternative and illustrative insulated cap of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of the insulated cap of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a partial cut-away view of the insulated cap of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the insulated cap of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an illustrative method of making an insulatedcap according to the present disclosure.

DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure may illustrate and describe a number of insulatedcaps in the present drawings and specification. Unless otherwisespecified, the insulated cap and/or its various components may, but arenot required to, contain at least one of the structure, components,functionality, and/or variations described, illustrated, and/orincorporated herein. Furthermore, the process steps, structures,components, functionalities, and/or variations described, illustrated,and/or incorporated herein in connection with the present teachings may,but are not required to, be included in other similar insulated caps.The following description is merely exemplary and is in no way intendedto limit the disclosure, its application, or uses. Additionally, theadvantages provided by the embodiments, as described below, areillustrative and not all embodiments provide the same advantages or thesame degree of advantages.

FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative insulated container assembly 10 thatincludes an insulated container 12 and an insulated cap 14 that iscomplementary to the insulated container 12. The insulated cap 14 andinsulated container 12 are depicted in a partially exploded view forclarity. The insulated cap 14 may be configured to be removablyattachable to the associated thermally insulated container 12. Theunderside of insulated cap 14 is shown in FIG. 2.

The insulated container 12 may be configured to retain a desiredsubstance, and in particular may be configured to retain the desiredsubstance at a temperature that is either higher or lower than anambient temperature. In one aspect of the disclosure, the insulatedcontainer 12 is configured to be used as a beverage container, and maycorrespond to or resemble a bottle, jug, growler, vessel, carafe, orsimilar beverage container. Insulated container 12 may be fashioned fromany material having the desired properties for a beverage container,such as a stainless steel or a plastic formulation. The insulatedcontainer 12 may incorporate any of a variety of insulating materials,or combination of insulating materials, so as to limit the transfer ofheat through the walls of the container. In one aspect of thedisclosure, the insulated container 12 may incorporate a double-walledconstruction, with the intervening space between the walls beingsubstantially evacuated, so that the container is a vacuum-insulatedcontainer.

Insulated container 12 may include any suitable container configured toportably contain liquids. For example, insulated container 12 mayinclude a bottle, jug, growler, vessel, carafe, or the like. Theinsulated container 12 may include a stainless steel vessel. In oneaspect of the disclosure the container is fashioned from stainlesssteel, incorporates a double-walled construction, and isvacuum-insulated. Examples of appropriate vacuum-insulated stainlesssteel beverage containers for the purposes of the present disclosure maybe commercially available from HYDRO FLASK (Bend, Oreg.).

The insulated container 12 may include a mouth portion 16 that providesaccess to an interior 18 of the insulated container 12. In some aspects,the insulated container 12 may include a mouth portion 16 that forms anopening at the distal portion of a neck 20 of the insulated container12. The upper portion of the insulated container 12 may be defined asthat portion of the insulated container 12 that includes the neck 20 andmouth portion 16 of the insulated container, consistent with theconventional and common usage when describing a container for liquids.

As may be more clearly shown in FIG. 2, the portion of the insulated cap14 that may be configured to make contact with the mouth portion 16 andto face the interior 18 of the insulated container 12 may be referred toas the interior portion 22, or inner portion, or lower portion of theinsulated cap 14, without limitation. Similarly, the surface of theinsulated cap 14 that faces the interior 18 of the insulated container12 may be referred to as an inner surface 24 of the insulated cap 14.

The portion of the insulated cap 14 that may be disposed opposite theinterior portion 22 may be referred to as the exterior portion 26, theupper portion, or the outer portion of the insulated cap 14, withoutlimitation. Similarly, the surface of the insulated cap 14 disposedopposite the inner surface 24 of the insulated cap may be referred to asthe outer surface 27 of the insulated cap 14, the upper surface of theinsulated cap, or the exterior surface of the insulated cap, withoutlimitation.

The insulated cap 14 (which may alternatively be referred to as a lid)may include one or more suitable structures and components configured soas to provide a releasable sealing closure for mouth 16 of insulatedcontainer 12. The insulated cap 14 may include a first securing element30 that is configured to secure the insulated cap 14 to the insulatedcontainer 12, such that when the insulated cap 14 is secured by securingelement 30, the container assembly 10 is substantially airtight, and thecontents of the container assembly 10 are substantially not prone toleaking during routine handling and/or transport. The first securingelement 30 may be configured to be complementary to, and to cooperatewith, a second securing element 32 disposed on or coupled to theinsulated container 12.

For example, and with reference to FIG. 1, the insulated cap 14 mayinclude a first securing element 30 that corresponds to a threading 34that is complementary to a second securing element 32 that may include athreading 36 disposed on or adjacent to the mouth portion 16 or neck 20of the insulated container 12. That is, threading 34 of the insulatedcap 14 may be configured to mate with threading 36 of the insulatedcontainer 12, so that the insulated cap 14 may be secured to the neck 20and thereby secured to and against mouth portion 16.

As shown in FIG. 1, for those aspects of the disclosure where the firstand second securing elements may include complementary threading, thethreading 36 on the insulated container 12 may be disposed on an outersurface 38 of the neck (e.g., exterior portion 26) of the insulatedcontainer 12, and the corresponding complementary threading 34 may bedisposed on an inner surface 40 of a circumferential sidewall 42 of theinsulated cap 14, so that threading 34 and threading 36 may positivelyinteract to secure the insulated cap 14 to the insulated container 12.

However, it should be appreciated that in an alternative aspect of thedisclosure, the insulated container 12 may include threading 36 disposedon an inner surface of the neck 20 of the insulated container 12. Inthis instance, as shown in FIG. 3, the complementary cap threading 34may be disposed on a projecting interior portion 22 of the insulatingcap 14 that may be configured to be inserted at least partially into theneck 20 of the insulated container 12, such that threading 34 andthreading 36 may positively interact to secure the insulated cap 14 tothe insulated container 12.

Although insulated beverage containers having threaded couplings totheir lids are described herein, it should be readily apparent that avariety of additional and/or alternative configurations andconformations of securing elements may be utilized in the containerassemblies of the present disclosure, and any alternative securingelement or pair of securing elements that serve to secures the insulatedcap 14 against the insulated container 12 and to create a substantiallyairtight seal may be an appropriate securing element or elements for thepurposes of this disclosure. For example, the insulated cap 14 may beretained by a securing element that includes a swing-top closure, wherethe insulated cap 14 may be retained by a wire bail configured so thatin a first position the insulated cap 14 is retained in place againstthe mouth portion 16 of the insulated container 12, and a secondposition where the insulated cap 14 is released from contact with theinsulated container 12, but the cap 14 remains connected to thecontainer 12 by the wire bail. The wire bail may be configured so thatthe wire bail may be manually urged from the first position to thesecond position, thereby opening the container assembly 10.

The insulated cap 14 (also referred to as a lid) may include anysuitable structures and components configured to provide an insulated,releasable sealing closure for mouth 16 of insulated container 12. Asshown in FIGS. 4-6, an illustrative insulated cap 14 according to thepresent disclosure may include an outer shell 44, an insulation block46, and a sealing member 48. Additionally, or in the alternative, theinsulated cap 14 may include a handle or carrying strap 50.

Outer shell 44 may include any suitable structure configured to providean outer cap, shell, or housing for insulated cap 14, and may furtherinclude a grippable and/or manipulable surface configured to assist inattaching and/or detaching the insulated cap 14 from the insulatedcontainer 12. The outer shell 44 may incorporate one or more contoursand/or portions or regions of texture. Alternatively, or in addition,the outer shell 44 may be molded or inscribed to provide an aesthetic,instructional, or functional interface for a user of the insulatedcontainer assembly 10. Outer shell 44 may include any suitable materialhaving sufficient structural strength and rigidity to form the outershell. For example, outer shell 44 may include a plastic, such as athermoplastic, or a thermosetting polymer. In one aspect of thedisclosure, the outer shell 44 incorporates a thermoplastic that is apolypropylene polymer.

In addition to structures and features disposed on an exterior surface52 of outer shell 44, the outer shell of insulated cap 14 may alsoinclude one or more features on an interior surface that are configuredto interact with one or more features of the insulated cap. For example,outer shell 44 may define apertures or through-holes that may beconfigured to facilitate the attachment of a carrying strap 50, and/orcontours and features disposed on or formed in an inner surface 54 ofthe outer shell 44 that are configured to interface with insulationblock 46.

Insulation block 46 may be mated with, attached to, or unitary with theinner surface 54 of outer shell 44, such that outer shell 44substantially covers both the upper and lateral surfaces of theinsulation block 46. Insulation block 46 may include any suitableinsulating material or insulating structure configured to enhance thethermal insulating properties of the insulating cap 14. That is, toreduce the rate of heat transfer between the lower or inner surface 24of the insulated cap and the upper or outer surface 28 of the insulatedcap 14. In other words, insulation block 46 may be configured tofunction as a thermal barrier to heat transfer between the interior andthe exterior of the insulated container 12.

Insulation block 46 may incorporate any suitable material, structure, ordevice configured to reduce heat transfer between the upper and lowersurfaces (or the outer and inner surfaces) of the insulation block 46.For example, for example, insulation block 46 may include one or morematerials that have inherently low heat transfer characteristics. Inaddition to having advantageous thermal properties, the materials makingup insulation block 46 may be selected based upon their mechanicalproperties, such as being easy to form and/or machine. For example,insulation block 46 may comprise one or more plastics, such asthermosetting polymers, thermoplastics, or other polymer formulations.The insulation block 46 may include one or more plastics that may be thesame or different than the plastics used for forming outer shell 44. Ina selected aspect of the disclosure, the insulation block 46 may beformed from polypropylene polymer.

In addition to the incorporation of an insulating material, theinsulation block 46 may be formed into a structure or shape that itselfenhances the thermal insulating properties of the insulation block 46.For example, insulation block 46 may include a plurality of internalvoids or apertures 56 configured so that the spaces formed by the voids56 decrease the thermal transfer due to conduction through the materialof the insulation block 46. The voids 56 may take the form of aplurality of closed cells, a plurality of open cells, or a combinationthereof. The insulation block 46 may be configured so that one or moreof voids 56 are filled with air, and the resulting plurality ofair-spaces enhance the insulating qualities of the insulation block 46.Alternatively, or in addition, one or more of voids 56 may be filledwith a gas, such as for example nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon, amongothers. In yet another aspect of the insulation block 46, one or more ofvoids 56 may be evacuated, so that the resulting evacuated spacesenhance the thermal insulating properties of insulation block 46.

Any appropriate number and arrangement of voids or apertures 56 may beformed in insulation block 46. In one aspect of the disclosure, thevoids or apertures 56 are defined so that they are elongate voids. Thatis, the void extends further in one dimension than in any otherdimension. Where one or more voids 56 are elongate voids, the voids maybe deemed to possess a longitudinal axis.

The insulation block 46 may incorporate a plurality of elongate voids 56that are formed so that the longitudinal axes of each of the elongatevoids are substantially parallel to one another. In other words, theelongate voids 56 may be disposed so that they are substantially alignedwith one another. The elongate voids 56 may be formed in insulationblock 46 so that their longitudinal axes extend vertically, that is, thelongitudinal axes extend between the upper and exterior portion 26 ofthe insulated cap 14 and the lower or interior portion 22 of theinsulated cap 14.

The elongate voids may be formed in any shape or geometry that may besuitable, and that may enhance the thermal insulation of the insulatedcap 14. In a selected aspect of the disclosure, each of the elongatevoids has a polygonal cross-section, where the cross-section is taken atright angles to the longitudinal axis of the void, such that eachincludes an elongate polygonal columnar void. For example, each of theelongate voids may have a cross-section that defines a hexagon. Wherethe elongate voids have a hexagonal cross-section, it may beadvantageous for the hexagonal voids to be formed in a close-packedarray, as shown in FIG. 5, thereby forming a honeycomb pattern. Thisconstruction may minimize the amount of material needed to form theinsulation block 46, as well is reducing the loss of heat through theinsulation block 46 through direct conduction.

Although the voids formed in the insulation block 46 may be completelyenclosed, in one aspect of the disclosure it may be advantageous to formthe elongate voids 56 by forming a plurality of open-ended apertures inthe upper face 58 of insulation block 46. In this way, placing theinsulation block 46 within the outer shell 44 serves to cap or seal theapertures, as shown most clearly in FIGS. 4 and 5.

Insulation block 46 may be formed from any suitably non-toxic materialthat is also substantially taste-neutral. In other words, although somematerials may impart a flavor to liquids they contact, a taste-neutralmaterial does not, or does so to a much lower degree. Where insulationblock 46 is formed from a non-toxic and taste-neutral material, thelower or inner surface of the insulation block 46 may also serve as thelower or inner face of the insulated cap 14.

Alternatively, the insulated cap 14 may further include an inner liner62 configured to substantially isolate the interior volume of theinsulated container 12 from the insulation block 46 when the insulatedcap 14 is coupled to the insulated container 12, as shown in FIGS. 4 and6. The inner liner 62 may also be non-toxic and substantiallytaste-neutral. Suitable inner liners 62 may be formed from, for example,stainless steel, or silicone, among others.

Where insulated cap 14 includes an inner liner 62, the inner liner mayinclude a continuous capping structure configured to partially encasethe insulation block 46, as shown in FIG. 4. In one aspect of thedisclosure, the inner liner 62 may include a cap or cup that interfaceswith insulation block 46 and/or outer shell 44 at an upper end of theliner 62, thereby forming a narrow annular channel into which the wallsof the neck 20 of insulated container 12 may be inserted. In this way,the interior of the insulated container 12, and therefore the contentsof insulated container 12, is exposed only to the inner liner 62, whilethe exterior of the insulated container 12 (e.g., threading 36) maycontact outer shell 44 and/or insulation block 46.

The isolation of the insulation block 46 and outer shell 44 from theinterior 18 of insulated container 12 may be further facilitated by thepresence of sealing member 48. Sealing member 48 may include anymaterial or structure that creates or enhances an air-tight seal betweenthe insulated cap 14 and insulated container 12, such as a seal, a ring,a gasket, or O-ring. Although a variety of suitable shapes may be usefulas a sealing member, in one aspect of the disclosure the suitablesealing member 48 may include a resilient O-ring, which may incorporatea tubular ring or solid ring having a circular cross section. The O-ringmay include a silicone rubber.

The insulated cap 14 may further include a handle that is configured tofacilitate carrying the insulated container assembly 10. Although anytype of handle may be used to carry the insulated container assembly, itmay be particularly convenient to employ a handle that includes a loopor carrying strap 50, as shown in FIGS. 1-6. Carrying strap 50 may becoupled to the insulated cap 14 with a pivotable or a non-pivotableconnection, and may include any suitable material or strap configurationadequate to support the weight of the assembled container assembly 10when filled with a liquid. In one aspect of the disclosure, carryingstrap 50 may include a flat strap. Carrying strap 50 may include aflexible, compliant, and/or resilient material, such as for example aflexible plastic, rubber, or silicone rubber material. The carryingstrap 50 may be a single ply of material, or may incorporate one or morelayers of material bound in a stack.

In one aspect of the disclosure, carrying strap 50 is pivotallyconnected to the outer shell 44 of the insulated cap 14, and optionallyfurther connected to the insulation block 46 within the outer shell 44,via two pins 66. Pins 66 may be attached to the insulated cap 14 by anysuitable method, such as being press-fit into appropriate aperturesformed in the outer shell 44. Such apertures may include a raised bossor protrusion. Alternatively, or in addition, pins 66 may be fixed bybeing overmolded during manufacture of the insulated cap 14. The pins 66may include any suitable material, such as rigid or resilient plastic orrubber, or stainless steel.

Carrying strap 50 may be attached relatively permanently, or may beconfigured so that it can be removed and/or replaced, either to repairthe carrying strap or to change the colors or appearance of thecontainer assembly. The outer shell 44 and/or pins 66 may includecontours or other features that may function as detent mechanisms toreleasably retain strap 50 in a desired orientation with respect toinsulated cap 14.

The insulated caps of the present disclosure may be manufactured as setout in flowchart 70 of FIG. 7, which includes forming an insulationblock that defines a plurality of voids formed in its upper surface, at72; forming an outer shell configured to form an outer surface of aninsulating cap, at 74; and coupling the insulation block with the outershell so that the outer shell caps the plurality of voids in theinsulation block, at 76. The insulated caps 14 of the disclosure may beprepared via any suitable manufacturing method, including but notlimited to spin-welding and/or over-molding processes.

Claim Concepts and Selected Embodiments

This section describes additional aspects and features of insulatedcaps, presented without limitation as a series of paragraphs, some orall of which may be alphanumerically designated for clarity andefficiency. Each of these paragraphs can be combined with one or moreother paragraphs, and/or with disclosure from elsewhere in thisapplication, in any suitable manner. Some of the paragraphs belowexpressly refer to and further limit other paragraphs, providing withoutlimitation examples of some of the suitable combinations.

A1. An insulated cap for sealing a mouth of a container, comprising:

an outer shell;

an insulation block disposed at least partially within the outer shell;wherein the insulation block defines a plurality of elongate voids;

a securing element, configured to secure the cap to the container; and

a sealing member configured to form a seal between the insulated cap andthe container when the insulated cap is secured to the container by thesecuring element.

A2. The insulated cap of paragraph A1, wherein each of the plurality ofelongate voids has a longitudinal axis, and the longitudinal axes of theplurality of elongate voids are substantially parallel.A3. The insulated cap of paragraph A1, wherein each of the plurality ofelongate voids has a longitudinal axis, and the longitudinal axes of theplurality of elongate voids are oriented substantially vertically withinthe insulated cap.A4. The insulated cap of paragraph A1, wherein each of the plurality ofelongate voids has a hexagonal cross-section.A5. The insulated cap of paragraph A1, further comprising a carryingstrap that is pivotally attached to the insulated cap.A6. The insulated cap of paragraph A1, wherein the securing elementincludes threading that is configured to interact and mate with acomplementary threading on the container.A7. The insulated cap of paragraph A6, wherein the threading of theinsulated cap is disposed on an inner surface of the insulated cap, andis configured to interact and mate with a complementary threading on anouter surface of the container.A8. The insulated cap of paragraph A6, wherein the threading of theinsulated cap is configured to interact and mate with a complementarythreading on inner surface of a neck of the container.A9. The insulated cap of paragraph A1, further comprising ataste-neutral cap liner configured such that when the insulated cap issecured to the container by the securing element the cap liner isexposed to the contents of the containerB1. A container assembly, comprising:an insulated beverage container;wherein the insulated beverage container includes an inner bottledisposed within an outer bottle such that an air-tight space existsbetween and defined by the inner bottle and the outer bottle and theair-tight space continuously surrounds the inner bottle, a neck portionthat defines a mouth of the container, and a securing element disposedon or near the neck portion; andan insulated cap;wherein the insulated cap includes an outer shell, an insulation blockdisposed at least partially within the outer shell that defines aplurality of substantially parallel elongate voids, a securing elementconfigured to secure the insulated cap to the securing element of thecontainer, and a sealing member configured to form a seal between theinsulated cap and the insulated beverage container when the insulatedcap is secured to the container by the interaction of the securingelements.B2. The container assembly of paragraph B1, wherein each of theplurality of elongate voids has a longitudinal axis, and thelongitudinal axes of the plurality of elongate voids are orientedsubstantially vertically within the insulated cap.B3. The container assembly of paragraph B1, wherein each of theplurality of elongate voids has a hexagonal cross-section, and theelongate voids are disposed in a honeycomb arrangement.B4. The container assembly of paragraph B1, wherein the securingelements of the insulated cap and the insulated beverage container arecomplementary portions of threading.B5. The container assembly of paragraph B4, wherein the threadingportion of the insulated beverage container is disposed on an exteriorsurface of a neck of the beverage container, and the threading portionof the insulated cap is disposed on an inner surface of acircumferential sidewall of the insulated cap.B6. The container assembly of paragraph B4, wherein sealing member is anO-ring that is configured to form a seal between the insulated cap andthe mouth of the container when the insulated cap is secured to thecontainer by the interaction of the complementary portions of threading.C1. A method of making an insulating cap, comprising:forming an insulation block, wherein the insulation block has an uppersurface and a lower surface and defines a plurality of voids formed inthe upper surface;forming an outer shell configured to form an outer surface of theinsulating cap; coupling the insulation block with the outer shell suchthat the outer shell caps each of the plurality of cavities in theinsulation block.C2. The method of paragraph C1, further comprising pivotally coupling acarrying strap to the outer shell.C3. The method of paragraph C1, wherein forming the insulation blockincludes defining a plurality of voids that are vertically elongatedwithin the insulation blockC4. The method of paragraph C1, wherein forming the insulation blockincludes defining a plurality of voids having hexagonal cross-sectionswithin the insulation block.C5. The method of paragraph C1, further comprising forming a securingelement in the insulated cap, where the securing element includesthreading.C6. The method of paragraph C1, further comprising adding a sealingmember that is an O-ring to the insulated cap.

CONCLUSION

The disclosure set forth above may encompass multiple distinctinventions with independent utility. Although each of these inventionshas been disclosed in its preferred form(s), the specific embodimentsthereof as disclosed and illustrated herein are not to be considered ina limiting sense, because numerous variations are possible. To theextent that section headings are used within this disclosure, suchheadings are for organizational purposes only. The subject matter ofthis disclosure includes all novel and nonobvious combinations andsubcombinations of the various elements, features, functions, and/orproperties disclosed herein. The claim concepts particularly point outcertain combinations and subcombinations regarded as novel andnonobvious. Other combinations and subcombinations of features,functions, elements, and/or properties may be claimed in applicationsclaiming priority from this or a related application. Such claims,whether directed to a different example or to the same example, andwhether broader, narrower, equal, or different in scope to the originalclaims, also are regarded as included within the subject matter of thepresent disclosure. Furthermore, explicit reference is hereby made toall embodiments and examples shown in the drawings, whether or notdescribed further herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A lid for sealing a mouth of a container,comprising: an outer shell; an insulation block disposed within theouter shell, wherein the insulation block defines a plurality of voids,each of the voids has a polygonal cross-section, where eachcross-section is taken at a right angle to a longitudinal axis of eachrespective void; and a sealing member configured to form a seal betweenthe lid and the container when the lid is secured to the container,wherein respective open ends of the plurality of voids are capped by theouter shell.
 2. The lid of claim 1, wherein the outer shell is plastic,the insulation block is plastic, each of the voids have a cross-sectionthat defines a hexagon, and the voids form a close-packed hexagonalhoneycomb pattern.
 3. The lid of claim 1, wherein the sealing membercomprises a gasket disposed on a portion of the lid configured to extendinto the mouth of the container.
 4. The lid of claim 3, wherein theportion of the lid configured to extend into the mouth of the containeris configured to secure the lid to the container.
 5. The lid of claim 1,further comprising a manipulable structure configured to assist intransitioning the lid between a secured configuration and a detachedconfiguration with respect to the container.
 6. A lid for a container,the lid comprising: an insulation block having a first face and aplurality of polygonal voids oriented orthogonal to the first face, eachof the polygonal voids having an open end at the first face; a shellcovering at least the first face of the insulation block, such that theopen ends of the plurality of polygonal voids are capped by the shell;and a sealing member coupled to the lid and configured to form a sealbetween the lid and the container when the lid is secured to thecontainer.
 7. The lid of claim 6, wherein the sealing member comprises agasket.
 8. The lid of claim 6, further comprising a taste-neutral linercovering a second face of the insulation block.
 9. The lid of claim 8,wherein the taste-neutral liner further covers a periphery of theinsulation block, and the sealing member comprises a gasket disposed onthe taste-neutral liner.
 10. The lid of claim 6, further comprising aside wall extending around and spaced from a periphery of the insulationblock, such that a gap is formed between the periphery of the insulationblock and an inner surface of the side wall.
 11. The lid of claim 10,wherein the side wall comprises a securing element configured to securethe lid to the container.
 12. The lid of claim 11, wherein the securingelement includes a first threading disposed on the inner surface of theside wall and configured to mate with a complementary second threadingon the container.
 13. A container comprising: a container mouth; and acontainer lid transitionable between an attached and a detachedconfiguration with respect to the container mouth; wherein the containerlid includes: an insulation block having an upper face and a pluralityof walls extending orthogonal to the upper face, the plurality of wallsdefining a corresponding plurality of voids each having an open end atthe upper face, each of the voids has a polygonal cross-section, whereeach cross-section is taken at a right angle to a longitudinal axis ofeach respective void; an upper shell covering at least the upper face ofthe insulation block, such that the open ends of the plurality of voidsare capped by the upper shell; and a sealing member coupled to the lidand forming a seal between the lid and the container mouth when the lidis attached to the container mouth.
 14. The container of claim 13,wherein the sealing member comprises a gasket.
 15. The container ofclaim 13, further comprising a taste-neutral liner covering a lower faceof the insulation block.
 16. The container of claim 15, wherein thetaste-neutral liner further covers a periphery of the insulation block,and the sealing member comprises a gasket disposed on the taste-neutralliner.
 17. The container of claim 13, further comprising a side wallextending around and spaced from a periphery of the insulation block,such that a gap is formed between the periphery of the insulation blockand an inner surface of the side wall.
 18. The container of claim 17,wherein the side wall comprises a securing element configured to securethe lid to the container.
 19. The container of claim 18, wherein thesecuring element includes a first threading disposed on the innersurface of the side wall and configured to mate with a complementarysecond threading on the container mouth.
 20. A lid for sealing a mouthof a container, comprising: an outer shell; an insulation block disposedwithin the outer shell, wherein the insulation block defines a pluralityof polygonal voids; and a sealing member configured to form a sealbetween the lid and the container when the lid is secured to thecontainer, wherein the sealing member comprises a gasket disposed on aportion of the lid configured to extend into the mouth of the container.21. The lid of claim 20, wherein respective open ends of the pluralityof polygonal voids are capped by the outer shell.
 22. The lid of claim20, wherein the portion of the lid configured to extend into the mouthof the container is configured to secure the lid to the container.